One of the greatest Christian comforts is the precious and true knowledge that Jesus continually intercedes for us. In Hebrews we read,
“And [the Levitical] priests truly were many, because they were not suffered to continue by reason of death: but this man, because He continueth ever, hath an unchangeable priesthood. Wherefore He is able to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by Him, seeing He ever liveth to make intercession for them.” [Heb 7:23-25]
In contrast to those priests of old, which were many seeing that they died and must needs be replaced, our priest of the New Covenant, Jesus Christ, continues on forever for He lives forever. Yea, Jesus truly is a complete and flawless high priest: one who shall never, and needs never, to be replaced.
“For such an high priest is fitting for us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and made higher than the heavens; who needeth not daily, as those high priests, to offer up sacrifice, first for His own sins, and then for the people’s: for this He did once, when He offered up Himself.” [Heb 7:26-27]
Praise be to God that we have such an high priest as His Son, Jesus. And praise God again that Jesus is so willing to conduct such an office for lowly and base men and women as ourselves. Truly, our God is great and there is none like Him. Again, regarding Jesus’ ministry of prayer, it is written that He “is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us.” [Rom 8:34] This intercessory prayer is shown to us drastically in the gospels. Turning our eyes to Mark, we remember that it came to pass, after Jesus multiplied bread to feed “about five thousand men,” [Mk 6:44] having multiplied so much that “they did all eat, and were filled,” [Mk 6:42] that “straightway He constrained His disciples to get into the ship, and to go to the other side…and when He had sent them away, He departed into a mountain to pray.” [Mk 6:45, 46] After having ministered to many of thousands of people, which was a surprise at that (for Jesus had said to His disciples, “come ye yourselves apart into a desert place, and rest a while,” but when they arrived, “He came out [and] saw much people” [Mk 6:31-34]), Jesus yet refused to sleep or rest but climbed the nearby mountain to pray. He thus continued in prayer all night, and we do read, “and when even was come, the ship was in the midst of the sea, and He alone on the land. And He saw them toiling in rowing.” [Mk 6:47-48]
Jesus was not willing to sleep or to rest, for His disciples were in need; He, alone on land, praying, saw them toiling. Jesus was not apathetic nor ignorant of their need, for we read, “thou hast considered my trouble; thou hast known my soul in adversities.” [Psa 31:7] But Jesus was instead upon that mount, praying for His disciples all the night, until “about the fourth watch of the night He cometh unto them,” and they thus received Him into the ship [Mk 6:48-51] Through this account we may take much courage, for it shows us that Christ our Lord sees us and knows us in our struggling and our toiling, and is continually interceding for us. As He was then upon the mount, so too now, at God’s right hand, in the Mount of God, Christ prays for us.
This truth of Jesus’ intercessory prayer is most comforting and encouraging; for it was to Jesus the disciples asked, “teach us to pray.” [Lk 11:1] No doubt, Jesus’ prayers are far superior to ours, for He being God knows perfectly the will of God and how to attain it. Therefore, to have Jesus interceding and praying always for us, should be of much encouragement. For even when we are dull and lifeless, even when we are sleepy as Peter was, our Lord yet prays.
But if we would now consider these things in terms of marriage, we would receive instruction regarding the husband’s role. Just as Jesus continually intercedes for His bride, the Church, so too the husband is to continually intercede for and pray for His wife, covering her in that loving and so good a practice of our most blessed religion. It is the husband’s responsibility to, as Christ, continually intercede to God on behalf of His wife. This is a necessity; remember Samuel, who said to Israel, “moreover as for me, God forbid that I should sin against The LORD in ceasing to pray for you.” [1 Sam 12:23] And if a sin for the leader to cease praying for the brethren, how much more a sin is it for the leader of th household to cease in praying for His wife.
Again, the importance of this virtue is displayed in the armor of God, wherein the last piece is, “praying in every season in The Spirit, and unto this very thing, staying vigilant with all perseverance and supplication for all saints.” [Eph 6:18] This piece of God’s armor is such that it is directed towards others most, and not chiefly self. We, as Christian brethren, have a responsibility to lift each other up in prayer to God; for this act protects and gives them strength for their battles. Just as it is written, “and it came to pass, when Moses held up his hand, that Israel prevailed: and when he let down his hand, Amalek prevailed,” [Ex 17:11] so too in marriage, our spouse will have more victory and strength when we lift them up in prayer. So then, may we as husbands always engage in this most vital practice: for by it our wives will be strengthened and helped, and we ourselves will be more perfectly displaying the glory of Christ who is our True Husband.